Hello to Everyone,

Gia and I want to let everyone know we are still here.  We apologize for straying away from blogging.  We have just been overwhelmed as many of us get.  Keep the Faith and you can get through anything.  I her daughter have just not had much time working 2 jobs and caring for Mom.  Mom needs me to blog for her as since being in remission of her peritoneal cancer, she had right shoulder surgery.  She has severe degenerative arthritis and her orthopedist did all he could to attach and repair her shoulder.  She is still struggling to be able to use her arms.  She has had a few falls recently and yesterday, she fell very hard and hit her head.  After a few hours in the ER, she was lucky as she did not have any facial fractures and got to come home.  Today of course, she has pain everywhere.  As much as Mom would like to give up on many days, she is still pushing through.  Her next obstacle is a breast biopsy for a suspicious lump.  We will keep positive that it is benign.

We want anyone who has cancer or is in remission to remember to never give up.  We still continue to struggle to keep our home and worry every day that we will not make it.  Our best advice is to take it one day at a time and if you have to one minute at a time.  No matter how difficult any situation is, it can always be worse.  Remember each day and every breath we take is a gift.  Don’t forget a little sun can make you feel better.  When is stays rainy and gloomy we always take extra vitamin D.  Mom continues to use her herbal supplements.  Our main ones are: Protandim, Turmeric, Milk Thistle and Chlor Oxygen.  You may want to see if any of these may be for you.  Water and smoothies also help Mom quite  a bit.  Hydration is very important unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Always remember to check with your doctor about taking any new supplements, especially if you are on Chemotherapy.

Kale has been a constant additive for us in our diet.  Once you get used to it, you can enjoy it cooked, as a salad and in a smoothie.  Add some fruit to your smoothie withe the Kale and you will taste like the fruit such as apples.  Some other cancer fighting foods we each often are brussel sprouts with black beans and spinach.

Keep The Faith and Keep Strong

Gia and her daughter

(I Just Got Cancer) Remember, Tomorrow my be the best day of your life

Hello Everyone,

My daughter is typing for me.  Having extreme arm pain from severely degenerated shoulders.  My oncologist was concerned I had cancer in my shoulders, but now said they are the most degenerated shoulders he has ever seen.  I have huge fluid effusions that have debris.  As I move my arms, the bones crack up and down my arms and the pain is just so off the charts, it makes me nauseated.  I am grateful that it is not cancer, but he said they will never get better unless shoulder replacements can be performed.  My peritoneal cancer is stable.  The tumors are reducing and my CA125 tumor markers are normal.  I still need a pet scan in a few weeks to check on them.  He is sending me to a orthopedist in between.  I struggle so much with depression which I know is from pain and my stress about or finances.  We have fallen two months behind in our mortgage and I feel so bad that my daughter is working two jobs and we still can’t get on track.

I, Ang am typing and just want to say that we do what we have to, even though it just never seems to be enough.  Our title is my motto though, because we have  to “remember, tomorrow may be the best day of your life.  To everyone out there dealing with illness and financial stress, stay strong.  I keep telling my Mom to take it one day at a time.  She worries so much.  It is a great burden all the way around for us and for everyone in our shoes.

God Bless everyone, remember, tomorrow may be the best day of our lives.

Gia and Ang

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(I Just Got Cancer) Hello I Am Back And Pushing Forward

Hello everyone!  Despite cancer and many other obstacles I am now able to blog again.  Since my last post, my world unraveled and it has been a great struggle.  Our financial problems got very bad. We were and continue to struggle to keep our home due to having problems paying our mortgage, then we got behind in utilities, phone and etc.  It is a spiral effect and you know how it goes, you can only pay what you can.  My daughter’s work has been very slow for three months and her income has suffered.  My son ended up in the ER for severe pain and ended up having a kidney stone.  His doctors said they would treat with pain medication and it would pass.  Little did we know, that was not going to happen.  He spent about a month is severe pain until one night, he could barely urinate. He had to have emergency surgery.  The surgeon performed the surgery late in the day and sent him home less than two hours after it.  Of course, he ended up back in the ER within three hours.  Turned out the 6mm stone had been lodged for so long that it caused severe swelling.  He either had to endure a few more weeks of pain or have a stent placed in the urethra to keep it open.  He decided to tough it out.  Thankfully, he is now well and recovered.  

Let me talk about myself.  Since my last blog, I have had my follow-up PET scan.  I saw my Oncologist and he gave me favorable results.  My cancer has improved signifigantly.  I really did not realize how sick I was with stage 4 peritoneal cancer.  I had lymph nodes in my chest that have now resolved as well as pleural effusions in my lungs and fluid around my heart which is also resolved.  My adbominal area now only shows some minimal hypermetabolic activity over 2 parts of the colon.  This means there is an increase in inflammation in those areas.  Now, the reasons can be that the tumors are still shrinking or the tumors are still there or infection. My Oncologist said that for two to three months after chemotherapy the tumors can still shrink.  He thinks that is what this is.  I have to tell you I am so excited that I am better, but still freaked out about the possibilty that there may still be some cancer.  I have to have another PET Scan the end of the month and see my Oncologist in March.  I have had a cough for the last few weeks, so I am scared, but I know I have to keep positive.  It is such a challenge.  I continue to be weak and do not have much energy, but he also told be that can take 6 or more months to improve.  I do my best to be active when I can.  I walk a bit, but not for long.  I also still have severe pain in my arms from my polymyelits rheumatica or myalgia.  Seems like my doctors call it two different ways.  It is easy for me to get frustrated when I can barely lift my arms.  Trust me the exercises are a “bitch”.  

I have continued to take my iron twice a day as I am still anemic.  I have continued all my vitamin regime, including Protandim, which I purchase at Livelifehealer.com.  I also continue with Turmeric which helps with inflammation.  I still do my juicing of Odwalla supergreen when we can afford it.  We had help from the Ceres Project for heathly food last year for 12 weeks which was so wonderful.  We do our best to purchase healthy items, but as everyone on a budget knows that can be costly.  I find it frustrating that as an example, sea bass if very healthy for cancer, yet is is super expensive.  Of course salmon is also healthy, still costly, but not as much as sea bass.  Protein is very important as I have mentioned in the past, but if you do protein shakes and supplements, prices vary quite a bit.  You really have to shop around to find the lowest prices.  Organic, raw/fresh are always the best, again not cheap.  This is where I end up not getting the organic due to cost, but do try to eat the fruits and veggies that are on sale.  Do what you  can I say and keep plugging along.  I know that most of the world sturggles and we all have to keep fighting to keep going.  We have to believe our health will be with us and the world will somehow provide financially as long as we pray, have faith, work hard, stay positive and are good to one another.  

Remember life is a gift and I know I want to keep my life going for many years to come.  Thank you for letting me in your lives to share my thoughts.  As long as I can keep my internet on, I will do my best to drop in as often as possible with updates or cancer tips.

God Bless You,

Gia

(I just got cancer)  A year of reflection fighting cancer:

Hello and Happy New Year!

I am back.  I just needed to take a break after finishing my last round of chemotherapy.  I feel it is time for me to have a year of reflection fighting cancer.  2012 was quite a year for me.  I had been very ill the two years prior with polymyelitis which is a type of arthritis of the large joints.  My primary care physician kept having me go on and off prednisone.  He said it was my body fighting against itself.  Well, when I look back now, I realize I was doing very well until I had a hernia repair four years ago.  After that I started having reoccurring bladder infections and strange pains in my abdomen.  I was and still am having problems with incontinence.   On top of all of that, I have had severe financial problems and to this day, still struggle to keep my home.

I became increasingly worse in the beginning of the year with extreme fatigue.  My doctor still told me it was the polymyelitis.  I got to where I could barely walk and was short of breath.  I also had lost my appetite.  My children got to the point where they said, gee Mom we should go to the ER, maybe you have cancer or something much worse.  After a few weeks of that I started getting abdominal pain and did end up in the ER.  That was a horrific experience as after a CAT Scan, the ER doctor told me I may have cancer.  His bedside manner was not good and he did not make me feel hopeful.  He made me feel like life was over.  I decided to fight.

Here I am, almost a year later and I am still fighting.  In fact, I feel like I have to fight every day to survive.  I have a wonderful Oncologist, Nurse Practitioner and two wonderful children who are my support system.  I do not know what I would do without my children and their sacrifices to help me.  I love my children with all my heart as they do me.   We have had many ups and downs from crying to laughing and arguing.  Cancer is a bitch and so is the treatment.  Speaking of treatment, even the pre-meds are rough.  The prednisone made me have mood swings like a crazy person.  Yes, the whole family has gone through it with me.

I make it through 6 months of chemotherapy and now I am scheduled for a Pet Scan in two days.  I know my CA125 was 7 at my last check.  Normal level is under 30.  I am truly freaking out as I have not had chemotherapy for three weeks.  I pray I am clear and in remission.  I see my Oncologist the end of next week.

I have so much respect for all the nursing staff as they made me feel comfortable at each and every chemotherapy session.  They were all so nice and they made me feel special.  The many faces at chemotherapy each week fill my mind.  Some happy, some sad.  All of us there to continue to live.  I want to live and I will be cured from my peritoneal cancer.  I have to say that staying positive is difficult, but a must.

I have also had the wonderful pleasure of have meals prepared for twelve weeks from a local program called the Ceres Project.  They provide cancer fighting meals to help you learn to eat better.  I highly recommend them if you live in Northern California.  If not, I recommend you ask your Oncologist or Nurse Practitioner for assistance programs where you live.

I also met a wonderful woman named Linda who owns, Elizabeth’s Wig and Hair Salon who was very generous to my daughter and I.  She is an amazing lady and I am so grateful for her generosity and expertise.  She has amazing wigs and adorable hats.

I have survived blood transfusions, more bladder infections, pain, fatigue, constipation, nausea, headaches, and so much more.  Wow, I am still here and it is 2013!  I will survive!

Thank you so much for letting me in your lives.  Cancer and survival are now the rest of my life and no matter what, I will do what it takes to live my life to the fullest.

I will keep you posted.

God Bless Everyone with health, happiness and prosperity.

Gia

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(I just got cancer)  Fear of ending chemotherapy

Before I get into my fears, I want to give out apologies for not blogging for a while.  We have just been having an extremely difficult time keeping our utilities on and making our house payment.  It have been a very rocky year in health and finances and lately the financial end has not been good.  I know that somehow as long as we do our best to keep positive, God will provide.  I am here, alive!  I have so much to be grateful for!  If I have my health, the rest will come.  I believe, the rest will come.  I will have my health and financial relief will come.  For those of you in desperate need like my family I just want to say my heart feels your pain and we can make it.  I have many days, when I have a hard time believing it and I am scared when we do not have money to go around, but hey I am able to blog again.  One thing at a time and one day at a time.  Sometimes I just have to say one hour at a time.  We have to do the best we can or this stress will eat us alive.

Well, in addition to my financial disasters, I am actually due for my last chemotherapy treatment tomorrow.  I can hardly believe it.  I have had the greatest fear of ending chemotherapy.  I know I have been a bit of a basket case because of our financial situation, but then I started freaking out about ending my chemotherapy.  I  had a long talk with my nurse practitioner last week.  She really helped my daughter and I. She is aware of all our problems and she told us that it is normal to be scared that chemotherapy is ending.  It is like cutting the umbilical cord.  It feels more safe when you are getting blood tests every week and seeing the doctor or nurse practitioner. In fact it feels like that support is not there.  I explained how afraid I am of getting another pet scan and my new results.  She re-assured my that everyone feels that way.  My oncologist will not “cut me off”.  I will have a three-week break and then a pet scan.  The week after that my oncologist will see me to review my progress.  He also said he will call if there is anything urgent.  Okay, just typing this is scaring me.  I don’t want to be scared, but I just feel scared all the way around lately.  I did get good news that my CA125 which is a tumor marker is at 3.  I was told anything under 30 is normal and my nurse practitioner said that is a very good sign.  I know I just have to wait it out.  I will make it.  We will make it and so can you.

I am going to continue this blog and still discuss things that happen with me and I plan to evolve to having more information about cancer, diet, recipes, exercises and healthy living with cancer or just doing your best to stay or be cancer free.  I will share my emotions and hope to touch and inspire someone out there who needs to know they are not alone.  The world can be a scary place and there is much grief in life, but I always remember that tomorrow may be the best day of my life and I do not want to miss it.  Therefore, if you are like me and your plate is just overflowing so badly that it is hard to make it to the next day, keep your chin up.  Tomorrow just might be that best day of your life.

God Bless and Keep reaching for the rainbow,

Gia

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(I just got cancer) Chemotherapy and thankfulness

I first want to apologize for slacking on my blog.  After my last session of chemotherapy I was just exhausted and needed a break.  I was then blessed with company for Thanksgiving.  Chemotherapy and thankfulness are hard to comprehend, but it depends how you look at it.  There is just so much in life to be thankful for that I will never be able to include them all.  I am so grateful to be alive each and every day.  I believe in God and know that without my  faith I do not know if I could make it.  My family is so loving and takes such good care of me.  I am so blessed to have children and am so grateful. I am so fortunate to have them as so many people are alone.  I am grateful for life, my home, my friends, pets, having food to eat a TV to watch and on and on. I just want to remind everyone not just those with cancer but everyone that we must always remember that  each day is a gift.  No matter what you do or do not believe, life is a gift from the day we are born.

The world so full of tragedy, stress, poverty, criminal acts and more that in the scope of it all when you just stop and think of it all, everyone has some type of problem in life.  It goes back to the old saying that “it can always be worse”.  If we all thought of that on a bad day, we would be grateful and thankful around the clock. It is just so easy to get caught up in our own issues.  Having cancer is so real and scary.  I get frustrated as I feel sick often and weak, then I freak out that we have truly not been able to keep up with our mortgage, let alone our bills.  Then, I remember I could have no home to try to save, no car, no family and etc.  My eyes are open.   In fact I am lucky to see for real and walk and talk. Not that they were not before, but I just have days that it is hard to step out of my “box of problems”.  I am working hard on myself to “keep my eyes open”, as many are in pain, poverty, alone, have cancer, can’t walk, no home and more.  I am so thankful and grateful to be here, working hard to keep alive.

Life is a journey.  It is full of ups and downs.  As we walk the walk and live each day, there will be many awful and stressful times, but every once in a while something wonderful will happen and things will be calm for a bit.  I will force myself to live for many more of those special moments.  No matter how bad today is, tomorrow may be the best day of our life.

God Bless Everyone and May your Holidays be blessed,

Gia

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(I just got cancer) Chemotherapy and Chemotherapy

I have been extremely exhausted this last week and it turns out I am anemic again.  Chemotherapy and anemia are very common.  For myself, I was already anemic prior to starting my chemotherapy sessions.  You can tell if you have anemia when you get a CBC which is a complete blood count.  This is usually done prior to each chemotherapy session depending on which chemo medications you are getting.  You may also be tested for calcium and magnesium.

These tests will provide your levels for the red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets and more.  The red blood cells transport oxygen rich hemoglobin through your body.  When you are anemic your body has  to work harder to supply oxygen to your tissue.  Some signs of anemia are shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, weakness.

If you are severely anemic, which by medicare means your hemoglobin is under 10, you my be eligible for blood transfusions, iron shots or aranesp. I have been taking aranesp on and off.  I sometimes get blood transfusions.  I had my last dose of cycle five two days ago and my hemoglobin was at 10.  I am anemic, but medicare will not pay for aranesp except for every two weeks.  I was already fatigued, but I had my chemotherapy and we just know it will knock my levels down lower.  Therefore, I am going to have another CBC next week and possibly another blood transfusion.

The platelets are what cause your blood to clot.  If these get too low, you may not be able to stop bleeding. Be sure to notify your Oncologist if you notice bleeding such as nose bleeds, bowel, or gums.

The white blood cells protect your body from getting infections.  If levels of neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cells get too low, it is called neutropenia.  This makes you vulnerable to infection.  There is a medication called neulasta which I have been taken which helps to rebuild you white blood cell count.  If you do have neutropenia, be careful in crowds and children.  When you go to rest homes or hospitals you also need be careful.  You can wear a mask to help protect yourself.

There are some things you can do to help your self.  Changing your tooth-brush frequently is highly recommended.  If you do not want to change your tooth-brush often, sanitize it .  I rinse mine in hydrogen peroxide.  It is also important to brush and floss to prevent mouth sores.  If you get white spots in the back of your tongue and throat be sure to have your Oncologist check to see if you have thrush.  If you do there are mouth lozenges they can prescribe.

Do your best to eat a healthy diet and exercise everyday to keep strong.  Keep hydrated and get rest when you need it.  Since I am anemic often, I take iron daily and have to work at eating iron rich foods such as liver, spinach, cream of wheat, beef. chicken, salmon, beans, tofu, nuts, and more. I also do my best to eat 90 mg of protein a day.  I eat other things such as greek yogurt, whey protein shakes, pumpkin seeds, tuna and much more.

Being on chemotherapy is a continual learning experience.  I hope that some things here may assist you in living with cancer and chemotherapy.

A special thank you to all our veterans of foreign war.  God bless,

Gia

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(I just got cancer) Chemotherapy and side-effects

I want to talk about chemotherapy and side-effects.  When chemotherapy is given, the main standard these days is to give “pre-drugs” .  These include a steroid, an anti-nausea medication and an anti-histamine type medication.  Now, you would hope that you would not get side-effects from these, but you do.  I have been having the absolute worst case of the crying jags and/or being a ranging “bitch”.  I am not kidding.  The steroids make me so flippant.  It drives my family crazy when I get like this.  The worst part is I do not realize I am doing this until they can’t stand it anymore and tell me.  I have talked with other chemotherapy patients and some of them have shared some similar experiences.

Another common one from steroids is not being able to sleep.  It can make you feel so wide-awake that even though you know you need to sleep, you just can’t.  Some other patients say they feel so amazing and energetic that love it.  I get hot flashes like I am getting right now.  I had my chemotherapy dose 2 days ago and I can still feel the steroids.

I am grateful that they give these medication prior to chemotherapy now.  My husband and mother passed away of cancer 19 years ago and at that time, they did not do the same “pre-medications.  They had a very difficult time tolerating chemotherapy without them and they did not do well when their chemotherapy doses got strong.

The three different medication really do help me and others.  I feel lucky as the anti-nausea medications have been quite successful for me.  I have only had one time at chemotherapy that I got nauseated when my dose finished.  The anti-histamines help us not get an allergic reaction to the chemotherapy medications.  Medicine has come so far.  Maybe one day all cancer will be cured.  I love to think of a line from Star Trek when they say how archaic our treatments are.  I love the little device Bones would use to slide over an injured person and everyone was healed so easily.

Life throws us so may curves.  We just have to be strong and be grateful for everything in life.  As I have said before, life is a gift.

I want to also send love to all affected by hurricane Sandy.  New York, New Jersey and all the East you are amazing souls who are so strong.  God Bless you and all your loved ones.

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(I just got cancer) Eating right when on chemotherapy

Eating right when you are on chemotherapy is crucial.  I have been so fortunate to have been accepted by the Ceres Project in Northern California.  The Ceres project provides cancer patients withe meals so that eating right when on chemotherapy is not so difficult.  It is so wonderful as eating right can be expensive at any time. I am learning what foods are exceptionally special to eat.

The Ceres Program uses foods that are organically grown.  The American Cancer Society suggests that 2/3 of our diet should be plant-based.  The Ceres Project uses foods that help to fight cancer by using no white or refined flour or sugar.  Salad dressings are made from scratch.  The veggies include dark orange variety and sea vegetables such as arame and kombu.  Also other cancer fighting mushrooms such as shitake, maitake and trumpet royales.  The food is incredibly nutritious.  I have also been given a scratch made sauerkraut, whey protein, home-made soups and much more.  Please check at with your Oncologist to see if there is a similar program in your area.

I started my first treatment of cycle five in my chemotherapy a couple of days ago.  I have been quite exhausted as it was my double dose of drugs. For the last two days I had my steroid side effect of feeling like I was burning up.  I do not get a fever, but red skin, anxious and swelling in my face.  I also get a weird feeling of electrical shocks in my hands.  My arms have been in a great deal of pain which makes it difficult to attempt to blog daily.  I feel better today.  As anyone one chemotherapy knows, each day is a new day.

I have eaten some amazing meals over the last two days.  I had walnut crusted baked cod, broccoli risotto, chopped cabbage, veggie burgers, ginger cookies, broccoli-yogurt slaw, veggie omelette, and veggie broth. I am also drinking a protein shake and a greek yogurt daily to keep my protein levels up.  As I have mentioned in the past it is important to eat 60 mg a day of protein.  Recently I was told to make it 90 mg.  It seems to vary depending on who you talk to.  I would ask your Oncologist about that too.

Well, as you can tell, I live in Northern California and this is Giant Baseball Country so today I have to say. Lets go Giants and win the World Series.

Eat as healthy as you can and live life to the fullest.

Gia

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(I just got cancer)  Started Cycle Five of  Chemotherapy

Today I started cycle five of chemotherapy.  I had my blood panel  and tumor markers drawn today.  When I start each cycle of chemotherapy my doctor draws a tumor marker to check my progress.  Last time it was at 10.  This is good as normal is under 30.  I am keeping positive that it will be low again.  In fact, since I started cycle five of chemotherapy I expect it to be lower.  My hemoglobin was 11.5 today which is very good for me even though it is still under normal range.  My white blood cells just made it into normal range, so that means the Neulasta shot I take at the end of each cycle to build white blood cells worked.

I had a long day today as my first chemotherapy of each cycle has two types of medications.  I am feeling fair tonight.  I have a headache and my usual pains in my arms.  I also get a large dose of prednisone with each dose of chemotherapy and it makes my face swell and get hot.  For me, these are my usual symptoms right after chemotherapy.

It was a long day today, but I am happy I got through it.  I know I will be well, I know I will be well, I know I will be well.  I ate  a yogurt and super green juice.  I had a milkshake and turkey chili.  Not my most healthy day, but I tend to eat different when I have chemotherapy.  Tomorrow, I will get my food donation for the week of my cancer fighting foods.  I will fill you in on the different meals.

It is hard to believe it is almost Halloween.  That means Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.  I am planning to feel well for the holidays.  I want to be able to enjoy them.  My Oncologist is going to let me have an extra week off for Thanksgiving and I should finish by Christmas.  This is so much to look forward to and I am grateful everyday.

I am worn out tonight so it is off to bed.

God Bless,

Gia

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